Written in the Well, Something
by Veritas Found
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng was born to be with Adrien Agreste. They were written in the stars, or kwamis, or something, and everyone knew it – everyone except Marinette and her boyfriend Luka, apparently. Adrien was just going to have to prove it to them.


**PLEASE NOTE (11 Jan 2020): THIS IS A SHIP-WAR FREE ZONE. The fic clearly states that it's a Lukanette fic. If you don't like Luka or the ship, you can nope out right now and say nothing. I will not be offended – I won't even know! Please do not send me rants about your issues with Luka's characterization (per the show writers and **_**not how I write him in the fic**_**), Adrien's characterization (**_**PER THE SHOW WRITERS AND NOT THE ROSE-COLORED PERFECTION GLASSES YOU VIEW HIM THROUGH**_**), how "ADRIENETTE IS ENDGAME THE WRITERS CONFIRMED DUMMY!" (when I say they're not endgame below, I mean they're not endgame for **_**me**_** and I don't write them as such), or any other bit of ship drama you want to shit all over this fic just because it's a pairing you don't personally like. I'm not going to hunt down your Adrienette fics and scream at you why I prefer my ship. Please don't come scream in my space about yours.**

**Guest rants sent that are just bitching about this fic being pro-Luka (that clearly show you just saw a Lukanette fic and attacked without even reading the damn thing, gosh) will be deleted. I've been on this site since 2001, guys. I've seen it all. I'm not dealing with your garbage just because apparently we all haven't learned "Don't Like, Don't Read" yet. (And no amount of your screaming into the void is going to make me pro-Adrienette again. If anything, it's just going to fuel the Lukanette fire and give my fellow shippers more content to enjoy.)**

**Ver**

**Title:** "Written in the…well, Something."

**Author:** Veritas Found

**Rating:** M / PG-16/ Older Teen

**Characters/Pairings:** Adrien Agreste, Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng; Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Not Endgame)

**Summary:** Marinette Dupain-Cheng was born to be with Adrien Agreste. They were written in the stars, or kwamis, or something, and everyone knew it – everyone except Marinette and her boyfriend Luka, apparently. Adrien was just going to have to prove it to them.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Notes/Warnings: **Set during the summer after their final year of lycée. Rating because I've been a major bitch to Luka in a WIP fic this month and treated him to some naked cuddles to make up for it (nothing explicit, but You Know). Friendly reminder that **Adrienette is Never Endgame**. marichchchat on Tumblr made this post about name meanings and Mari being born to be with Adrien because of NAMES, and y'all know by now you shouldn't let me see things. (That was the point of this, in the beginning. It mainly stayed there, but I think it's about as done as it's gonna get.)

**Names**

Marinette: "of the sea"; French diminutive of Marine. Familial name given for sailors.

Adrien: "man of Adria", referring to a coastal town/river in Italy, and an Illyrian word _adur_ meaning 'sea' or 'water'

Luka: "light" (Couffaine: "of/from the coffin")

**The Post**

marinette is a diminutive of the name marin, an occupational name for sailor

adrien is a variant of adrian, based off the adriatic sea and means of the sea or water

what I'm sayin is marinette was born to ride the waves

"_**Written in the…well, Something."**_

Life had been much simpler in the days before Chat Noir had known Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug. If Marinette had known revealing their secret identities to each other would have led to…_this_, she never would have suggested it. She would have continued to enforce the Guardians' antiquated rule of _Secret Identities, No Reveal, Not Once, Never_ – except she had honestly thought, after five years of fighting alongside each other, maybe trusting each other completely would help their efforts. They were getting older, after all: both were eighteen and leaving lycée behind, and who knew where life was taking them now? She'd be starting university in the fall, and she knew Chat had some obligation to a family business, but she had assumed he'd be continuing his education, too. The adult world would be adding extra pressures to their civilian lives that were bound to encroach on their superhero lives, so she had finally broached the topic that had been an elephant in the room since they were thirteen: _maybe it's time we know who we really are._

(She'd already told her boyfriend her identity months ago, when they'd first started discussing her moving in with him when she started university – only to be floored by his laughing reply of, "Darning, I've known for _years_ now.")

And of course Chat had been _ecstatic _(he'd been championing a reveal since day one), and when their transformations had dropped…she certainly hadn't been expecting to see _Adrien Agreste_ standing there. They had stood there, tucked high away on a darkened alcove of the Notre Dame cathedral, in shock, gawking at the other for a moment or two (or twenty) before Adrien's dumbfounded expression had slowly morphed into a hysterical, radiant smile. A _delighted_ smile.

And then, much to the frustration of eighteen-year-old Marinette (but the absolute, mortified delight of thirteen-year-old Marinette), he had swooped her up into a Chat-level hug and started showering her with compliments, praises, declarations of love, promises of a future…as if she wasn't in a serious, committed, long-term relationship with someone else.

…someone that he had been instrumental in setting her up with. Someone he considered a good friend. Someone he'd helped her plan his last birthday party for!

"It's perfect! It's perfect, Mari!" Adrien had cried, putting her down. His hands had slid from her back to her shoulders, and then up to cup her face. He had been grinning at her, and once upon a time that smile would have made her knees go weak. "Don't you see? We can be together now! I never pursued you as Marinette because I loved Ladybug, but now –"

"Now _what_, Cha…Adrien?" she had asked, swallowing. "Nothing's changed. This changes _nothing_."

"Wha…what do you mean? It changes _everything_," he'd insisted, but she had only been able to shake her head. She had reached up, taking his hands and removing them from her face.

"I'm in love with _Luka_, Adrien," she'd said, frowning. She had squeezed his hands before letting go. She had taken a step or two back, just for good measure, because he was looking at her with an expression she'd grown quite familiar with from Chat Noir over the years. Like he was about to kiss her, and she _really_ didn't want him to kiss her. "Y'know…_Viperion?_ You were the one who picked him."

"For the Snake Miraculous – not for your heart!" Adrien had protested, and she'd laughed. It hadn't even been bitter: just an honest laugh of amusement. Maybe at the irony of it all, maybe at the desperate way he was looking at her, maybe at the fact that _Adrien Agreste had been in love with her the whole time_ – and where had that knowledge been when she was thirteen and head over heels in love with him?

…not that it mattered. Not that she wanted it to. It was just…funny. In the way her life usually was.

"He'd already been working on that by that point," she'd said with a shrug. She didn't bother mentioning that Adrien was the one who, that summer she had decided to let him go and had grown closer to Luka, had actively encouraged her to ask Luka out – had insisted, even, because they were obviously _perfect for each other_. She'd hugged him them, because even if she couldn't love him like he loved her she did still love him, in her own way. "I am glad it's you, Adrien. That doesn't change. We're still partners, and we're still friends. But I'm not in love with you. Not anymore. I don't think I ever really was."

She had been foolish enough to think that would be the last time she'd have to turn down Chat Noir. She hadn't realized that Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste, and she'd never had to turn down Adrien Agreste – so perhaps it made sense that Adrien had some _chat_-ching up to do in the rejection department.

Only it was worse, if possible, because now Marinette didn't just have to deal with Chat's blatant, incessant, _pushy_ flirting as Ladybug. Now she had to deal with _Adrien's_ flirting as _Marinette_, and who would have guessed that – when he let the professional, Perfect Model mask drop, Adrien was kind of a dork? Now that the Chat was out of the bag, so to speak, Marinette was honestly surprised at how much Chat there was in Adrien – and vice-versa. Really, she felt kind of stupid for not figuring it out sooner.

"Well, I could have told you that," Luka chuckled on her balcony one night. She squirmed against him, attempting to land an annoyed, teasing hit against his shoulder, and he dropped a kiss against her hair before she finally settled and they were once again relaxing in her lounger. "I'm surprised you hadn't figured it out sooner, too. You're usually smarter than that."

"Yeah, well, you're just incredibly perceptive," she huffed. When she had finally confided her identity with him, he had told her he had known practically from the beginning – from the time his mother had become Captain Hardrock. He'd had his suspicions, at least, and as time moved on and they became closer – the more he fell for her, the more he got to know her – the more obvious it became. He had just never said anything because the Secret Identity Rule had been so important to her, and he would never break her trust like that. "I just wish he'd stop with the flirting. Adrien knew we were dating, and I had thought he was happy for us. Chat knew Ladybug wasn't interested, and I'd thought he'd finally accepted it. I'm pretty sure I had told him, as Ladybug, at some point that I was dating, too. He's known _Ladynoir_ was never going to happen. He's been really good with keeping the flirting to a bare minimum, too. But it's like now that he knows we're the same person…ugh. And what's up with that, anyway? Now that Marinette's Ladybug it's ok to pursue her? What, Marinette wasn't good enough on her own?"

"Marinette is more than good enough on her own," Luka murmured, nuzzling his head against her shoulder. His arms squeezed her middle, and she giggled as his hair tickled her ear. "Ladybug is amazing, but she gets her awesomeness from Marinette. Never forget that."

"You're biased," she reminded him, and he began trailing kisses along her shoulder.

"I am one hundred percent biased," he confirmed, "but I loved Marinette before I loved Ladybug. I only love Ladybug because I love Marinette."

And that's how she liked it – how she wanted it. If Adrien was only interested in Marinette because she was Ladybug, what did that say about Marinette? Was she not enough on her own? She tried telling herself she wasn't being fair to Adrien – that he had admitted to liking both of them, much as she had once upon a time liked both Adrien and Chat, but he had been loyal to Ladybug and had therefore never given Marinette a proper chance, even as his feelings for Marinette had grown. Which, again: she understood! Because she had herself admitted that, if not for liking Adrien first, she might have given Chat a chance – especially during that murky time when she had thought maybe, _maybe_, she might love Chat. Except she didn't, because she had at the time thought she loved Adrien. And Adrien had loved Kagami, or Ladybug, or whoever – but it certainly hadn't been Marinette! Even if he now claimed he'd always had feelings for Marinette!

And that had been baffling enough, because Adrien had always claimed Marinette was _just a friend_. Even in the moments where he had acted otherwise, where he had made her question his words with the sincerity of his actions...he had stood by the fact that they were _just friends_. He'd always seemed to give Kagami more romantic interest than he'd given Marinette, so it had been all too easy that summer after they lost Master Fu to step away from Adrien. To let him go, let him be happy, and instead of going crazy over Adrien notice the one who had been there quietly supporting her the entire time they'd known each other. Loving Luka had been easy, where loving Adrien had been nothing but stressful. Being friends with Adrien had been worlds easier, and – since he had always claimed they were _just friends_ – she never second-guessed him. And then she'd told him she was Ladybug, and suddenly Marinette wasn't _just a friend_ – she was more? And he'd just been too blinded by Ladybug to notice? In what universe was that fair?

And it still didn't change the fact that she was with _Luka_. That she _loved Luka_. That loving Luka had made her realize what she'd felt for Adrien had been an infatuated crush at best, the kind you can only feel when you're thirteen and head-over-heels stupid in love with someone without even realizing what love is, and that wasn't what she wanted long-term. She wanted the kind of love that could change and grow with you, that made you feel safe and at home. That made you mad enough to spit some days but still provided a safe harbor to return to after long days in the world. A love that recognized flaws and faults and celebrated the differences and loved anyways, because that, she was learning, was what love was, anyway. There were no pedestals and perfection, no obsession and stalker schemes and stolen phones. There was trust, and acceptance, and home. Rose had shown them a cheesy romcom once where the protagonist's father had said love was about "growing up and together, not old and apart". That's what she was looking for, in the end.

She just wished Adrien could accept that.

Except, apparently, he couldn't.

The last week of lycée was filled with study groups. While their old college class had, for the most part, all gone to separate lycéen, they still made it a point to keep in touch. Study groups had been a big part of that, especially around exams. There was always overlap in their studies, especially with the gen ed courses, and they enjoyed the time together. And while Adrien wasn't usually present for these sessions due to his demanding schedule, somehow – that final week – he had made time for them. And since Marinette was usually sitting near Alya, and by extension Nino, Adrien made it a point to cram himself between Nino and Marinette. If Alya and Nino noticed and were concerned by how their friend suddenly seemed to crowd into Marinette's personal space, at one point draping over her side like a cat, neither commented. They also didn't comment when Marinette roughly shoved him to the floor without batting an eye, though the look they shared spoke volumes.

The text messages were another issue entirely. They had texted before, of course, and Marinette had expected the texting to increase as they worked out a battle plan for how to take down Hawkmoth. She had expected texts about akuma sightings, theories about who Hawkmoth could be, _maybe_ an annoying cat meme or two (he _was_ Chat Noir, after all), but she hadn't expected the Charles Boyle-level flood of memes, gifs, random thoughts, little comments, emojis…she'd been ready to block him when Luka grabbed her phone, typed out something, and then…nothing. Her phone stayed blissfully silent for the rest of the day, until an akuma alert pinged the next morning and he'd sent her a text saying he'd see her in five.

Akuma battles were getting annoying, too. Before the reveal, he had still been a little flirty, but he had gotten better about it. He had honestly seemed to respect her wishes to keep things professional and had dialed back the flirty banter. It was no worse than it was with the others, at least – he'd even sent a few winks and comments Rena's way, but the fox hero had simply rolled her eyes fondly and warned him about getting a shell to the skull if he wasn't careful. Now that he knew who was behind Ladybug's mask, however, he'd seemed to redouble his efforts. And while Luka had been taking his advances in stride – had constantly assured her it was just a phase, something Chat needed to get out of his system before he could properly move on – she could see the tension behind Viperion's eyes as Chat sidled up next to her. As he brushed his fingers against her cheeks and purred out a sultry, "_M'Lady._" To the general public, it seemed business as usual when she shoved him off a building and he fell to the street below, cackling, before bounding off towards the akuma at the last minute.

"Are you still certain it's just a phase?" she asked tetchily, arms crossed over her chest as she glared after her mangy Chat. Viperion appeared by her side, and she squeaked as he yanked her into a sudden kiss.

"Yes," he said when he pulled back, though neither could deny there was a certain edge to his voice. "But it will be better for everyone in the long run if he could just learn to take a hint."

He kissed her again before running off to his hiding spot, and she might have smiled a bit wider than necessary if he waited to reset the battle until after the akuma had thrown Chat through a brick wall with a sickening _crunch_.

(After the reset, if Viperion had stayed a bit closer than before and had shoved Chat off the roof himself before he could even get close to Ladybug, Ladybug just lifted an eyebrow at him before he kissed her, told her to be careful, and ran off after their teammate.)

Once lycée had finished and the last summer before university officially began, Adrien seemed to redouble his efforts. Every time she met up with Alya and Nino, he was there. When she went to the Gabriel offices to pick up her welcome packet for the internship she'd be starting in a few weeks, he was there. When she'd gone with Luka to track down Andre for their first sweetheart ice cream of the summer, _he was there_.

He was everywhere, and always with a flirty comment. A subtle hint that they were _destiny_, being opposite halves of the same Miraculous whole – didn't she believe in soulmates, anyway?

"No, Adrien, I don't," she huffed, thanking Nathalie as she handed over her completed paperwork. Nathalie raised an eyebrow and looked between the two, a silent question in her eyes. Marinette turned a glare on Adrien. "I believe anyone can be your soulmate as long as you put the work in. Like I've been putting the work in with Luka. For three years now."

She smiled at Nathalie, wished her a good day, and turned to leave the Agreste manor. She paused at the door, turning back to give Adrien a pointed look.

"You know," she added, just for good measure. "Like you _told me to_."

He just smiled and waved as she walked out the door, completely nonplussed. The door was almost closed when he called, "I look forward to putting the work in with you, Mari! We're meant to be – I know it!"

She threw her head back and screamed, stomping her foot in frustration. When she looked up, the Gorilla was leaning against the car, eyebrows raised as he stared her down. She let out a strangled laugh, waved nervously, and ran off the compound.

She was learning the hard way that there was entirely too much Chat Noir in Adrien, and apparently he really couldn't take a hint. She used to find his obliviousness endearing. Now it just pissed her the hell off.

"You know," Adrien said one day about three weeks after their reveal, "we were born to be together."

She sighed and put her sketchbook down, looking up with a raised eyebrow at her partner. Nino and Alya were in line at the café, getting drinks for everyone while they held the table. They were supposed to be seeing a movie together later in the afternoon. It was one of the last days Adrien would have in town before his father sent him to England for the summer. Marinette felt kind of guilty for looking forward to the trip. It had only been three weeks, but she was honestly eager for a month or two without Adrichat's constant flirting and unwanted advances. If she was _really_ lucky, he might even meet someone in England.

"Oh were we, now?" she asked, tapping her pencil against the table. "Please, do enlighten me."

"Have you ever thought about what our names mean?" he asked, scooting closer. A classic Chat grin graced his lips. She was surprised enough to hesitate, and it showed.

"Er…no, actually," she said. Which was silly, because she had always loved symbolism like that. She should have considered it ages ago, back when she was thirteen and planning their wedding and three kids and hamster.

"Well, _Marinette_ comes from _marin_, which was a name given to sailors," he said. She nodded – she'd known that. Luka had often joked about that with her, especially when she started calling him her pirate. Adrien continued, nonplussed. "And _Adrien_ comes from the Adriatic Sea and means _sea_ or _water_."

Marinette felt her blood chill in her veins. She was almost certain she wasn't going to like where he was taking this. She could feel the pun coming like a storm building, the pressure bearing down uncomfortably behind her eyes.

"So, if you're a sailor and I'm the sea, doesn't that mean you were born to _ride the waves?_" he asked innocently, leaning in with that grin and his best bedroom eyes (she'd seen better, and they were blue). She thought he was lucky Alya hadn't returned with her drink yet: she would have tossed it in his face if she had. As it was, she stamped down her revulsion at the horrible pun and sat up straighter, leaning away from him in the process. His lips puckered in a pout.

"Wasn't the Adriatic Sea home to a bunch of nasty sea monsters?" she asked, going back to her sketchbook. She missed the way he quirked an eyebrow at her. "If we're going by name meanings, Luka's – _my boyfriend's_ – name means _light_."

"O…k," Adrien said, nodding. "Not really seeing how that's relevant, but –"

"So maybe, if I'm a sailor, he's my lighthouse, guiding me safely home from all those nasty monsters in your wake," she hummed, tapping her pen against the page. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"And doesn't _Couffaine_ mean _coffin_ or something?" he pressed. "So he's a light from a coffin. He's leading you to your death is what he's doing. Like a siren, luring the poor, unwitting sailor to her death with his song. Better to stay at sea where you're safe."

"Did you know there's this song about a girl whose love was lost at sea, and every day she asks the sea to safely return him to her?" she continued. She kept her eyes on her sketchbook, but her lips were curling in a small smile as she thought of Luka humming the song to her, a bittersweet lullaby. _So give a sailor not your heart, lest sorrow you do seek…_ "And one day, the sea complies, and she sees him floating in on a piece of driftwood from a shipwreck. Only the sea is a fickle mistress, and her love is dead. Because the sea's a jealous little bitch."

Adrien's jaw slipped open in mortified shock. She looked at him long enough to see that much.

"Let true love not be torn apart by favors from the sea," she sang softly, sharply, shooting him a pointed look. He had puffed his cheeks out in frustration, his eyes downcast as he tried to think of a witty enough reply.

"W-well, did you know there's this beach in the United States, and these pirates used to take a mare, cripple her, and tie a lamp to her head? They'd limp her around a cliff overlooking all these rocks, and when ships would see the light they'd think it was a lighthouse – until they got close, and by then it was too late and they'd crash their ships against the rocks," Adrien continued, pounding his fist against the table as if he had just given her a perfectly valid argument. A successful rebuttal. Instead, all Marinette could focus on was how _her boyfriend_ would have known to say _scuttle_ instead of _crash_. Because, you know, _her boyfriend was a pirate._ "And the pirates would raid the ships. And Luka's a pirate, so how do you know he's actually your lighthouse and not a crippled horse on a cliff?"

Alya and Nino came back with their coffees just in time for Marinette to stand, roughly shoving her sketchbook into her bag in the process.

"Because if Luka's a pirate then he already knows how to keep a sailor safe from the sea, so that would still make him the better choice, wouldn't it?" she asked, her voice sickly sweet. She took her drink from Alya, apologized because she suddenly wasn't feeling well and would have to miss the movie, and wished Adrien a good time on his trip before leaving the café. A short walk and a few well-placed yoyo jumps found her landing on the balcony of the flat she'd be moving into with Luka come the end of summer. He was napping in the hammock he'd tied up out there, and he offered her a sleepy smile as Marinette climbed into the hammock with him.

"Hey, darning," he greeted, his voice gruff from his nap. His arms wrapped around her as she settled, the hammock swaying. "Thought you'd still be at the movies a while."

"Did you know Adrien's apparently the sea and, as a sailor, that means I was born to ride him?" she quipped. She felt Luka tense beneath her, and she shifted slightly so she was lying more fully on top of him. She grabbed his face in her hands and leaned up, kissing him firmly. She went to pull back, but his arms slipped lower and pulled her against him, eagerly chasing her lips to prolong the kiss. She giggled against him and scratched her nails against his scalp, making him hum into her mouth.

"The only sea you're going to be riding –" he started when she pulled back, but she silenced him with another kiss. He groaned as she pressed against him, the hammock swaying precariously beneath them.

"I'd much rather ride a pirate than the waves. Anyway, I told him about that song you told me about, with the sea killing the sailor? I told him you're my light, and I'm much more interested in the light," she said, snuggling against him. She placed a kiss above his heart, missing his smile at her words. "You're my light, guiding me home."

"I am a sailor, and you are a star, and the midnight sky is ours," he sang softly. He sighed as she began making her way from his heart, up his neck, to his jaw, leaving a trail of kisses in her wake. His voice was a little shaky when he continued the song. "You hold the lantern, and I'll chase the light."

"Take me anywhere you want to go tonight," she finished, leaning up to capture his lips again. She smiled when she pulled back a moment later, her thumb brushing against his cheek. "The sea can suck it. I'll take my pirate any day. I might have also told him you were my lighthouse."

"Guiding you home?" he asked with a smile. She kissed him again.

"Or my star, guiding me anywhere you want to go," she teased, singing to him again. He chuckled and gave her a squeeze.

"Anywhere, huh?" he asked, and she nodded.

"I'll follow the light. Anywhere," she said. She squealed as he hopped up from the hammock, settling an arm around her back and one under her bottom to hold her against him. He kissed her once he was standing, and she felt breathless from it all. Even after a lifetime on a boat, after years of being a superhero, his agility would never cease to amaze her. She probably would have knocked them over the rail and toppled them to the street below had she attempted that move outside of her super suit.

"I'm thinking this light's heading indoors," he murmured against her lips. "Maybe to a bedroom. A little more private. A little more…"

She squealed as he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her inside, navigating the cluttered living room and bringing her into his – _their_ – room. She was laughing as he tossed her on the bed, and she kept laughing as he crawled over her, and didn't stop until he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Her hands came up to cup his face, her back arching to press against him as the hand that wasn't supporting himself slid around her side, settled on her lower back, and pulled her closer.

"My star," she murmured against his lips, and he chuckled.

"I think I like that more than _pirate_, anyway," he hummed. "_Pirate_ is what Ma calls Jagged, and I'd rather not think about them when we're…"

He yelped as she collapsed against the bed in a fit of laughter, tugging him with her by the arms still wrapped around his neck, and he laughed along with her as she curled around him.

Neither of them thought about anyone but the other after that, at least not until much later that night when Marinette remembered she was supposed to meet Chat for a final patrol before he left the next day. She groaned when her alarm went off, and she glared blearily at the many missed notifications on her phone. She was entirely too comfortable with her naked boyfriend wrapped around her, and she really didn't want to leave the warmth of their bed to deal with Chat.

"It's just patrol," Luka murmured against her skin, his lips pressing lazy kisses against her ribs. He nuzzled his face against her, and her free hand came up to twist in his hair. "Stay with me, darning. He can handle one patrol on his own."

Could he, though? She wasn't so sure anymore.

"I should clear the air before he goes," she sighed, opening up the text chain to see what had been so important. She didn't have any akuma alerts, so she knew it couldn't have been an attack. She frowned again when she began reading the messages. "On second thought…"

She handed the phone to Luka when he lifted an eyebrow, and his relaxed expression morphed into something stormier as he read the _twenty missed texts_, all claiming Adrien was sorry, except he wasn't, because he loved her, and he knew they were meant to be together, and why couldn't she see it, and he would prove it to her yet, they were written in the stars, and on and on. Luka glanced up at her, his arm tightening around her middle.

"I could go instead," he said, resting his chin on her upper abdomen, high enough that he could lean his cheek against her breast. She looked down at him, eyebrows raised, and he dropped another kiss against her skin. "You stay here. I could push him off a couple hundred roofs and still be back before you get cold."

She laughed and sat up, pulling him up with her to kiss him soundly. She bumped their noses together, grinning as she said, "As tempting as that idea is, I should go." She bit her lower lip, smiling thoughtfully at him. "You know what the funny part about all this has been?"

"Has any of this been funny?" he asked, quirking his eyebrows at her. "I mean, I found it kinda funny in the beginning, but it's getting old quick."

"Are you jealous?" she giggled. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not jealous because I have absolutely no doubt in my mind who you want to be with," he said. She bent down to kiss him again, squeaking as he pushed himself up to curl around her, tipping her head back to deepen the kiss. He nipped her lower lip as he pulled back, sucking on it gently before he rested his forehead against her own. "I'm just a little annoyed that he apparently can't take a hint."

"That's been the funny part," she said. "You know, as many times as he's told me I'm supposed to be with him, that we're meant to be, that it's _destiny_, he's never once said that part of my being with him included breaking up with you? I'm sure it's implied, but he's never explicitly said it."

"…are you saying he wants to share?" Luka asked, eyebrows soaring. She shrugged, and then she laughed as he groaned. "Darning, I love him, I do, but I am _not_ sharing. I wasn't the one in love with him all through college."

She laughed all the harder at that, but they both groaned when her phone pinged again. Another text from Adrien, this time asking if she was still coming to patrol. She was late.

"I changed my mind," she sighed when her phone pinged _again_, this time with a teary-eyed cat emoji, "and I might be changing my number. I'd love for you to come."

A smirk curled his lips, his mouth opening to say something she'd undoubtedly regret, but she only laughed as she shoved him off the bed with orders to get dressed. She scrambled over him, snatching up her clothes as she made a beeline for the bathroom. When she turned at the door, he was still sprawled on his back on the floor, watching her with an appreciative smile as she hugged her clothes to her chest. She stuck her tongue out at him before slamming the door, and his laughter followed her inside.

Ten minutes later, Ladybug was touching down on a roof beside Chat Noir. He was already reaching for her, his smiling mouth opening for what would undoubtedly be an unwelcomed flirtatious greeting, when Viperion landed beside them. The smile slipped as Chat stepped back, his ears flattening against his hair.

"Hey, Scales," he said easily, nodding at the other hero. He removed his baton from his back, extending it so he could lean on it. Viperion wasn't even looking at him, his gaze fixed on his bangle as he flicked the snake head back and muttered _Second Chance_ under his breath. "Didn't know you'd be joining us tonight."

Without a word, Viperion stalked over to him, cocked his fist back, and sent it flying into Chat Noir's face. Chat yowled as he stumbled back, his baton clattering to the roof as he grabbed at his injured nose. He lifted horrified eyes up to his teammate, but Viperion didn't even look fazed.

"Second Chance," he hissed as he raised his wrist and flicked the snake head of his bangle.

"Hey, Scales," Chat Noir said easily, nodding at the other hero. He removed his baton from his back, extending it so he could lean on it. Viperion didn't look pleased, and Chat could only imagine why. (He wasn't a _complete_ idiot, after all: he knew Viperion was Luka and Luka knew he was Adrien and Adrien – and Chat – had been trying to get Luka's girlfriend to break up with him for three weeks now. So, yeah. There were probably some hurt feelings there. Not a whole lot of love lost between them. But _destiny!_) Viperion's eyes were narrowed into slits as he stalked forward wordlessly, the look on his face making Chat nervous. "Didn't know you'd be joining us to-"

Viperion had already cocked his fist back and sent it flying towards his nose. He yowled as he stumbled back, clutching his injured appendage with both hands. He raised horrified eyes to his teammate, but Viperion was already flicking his bangle and hissing "Second Chance."

"Hey, Scales," Chat Noir said easily, nodding at the other hero. He removed his baton from his back, but he hesitated before extending it as a sudden wave of déjà vu hit him, much like a punch in the face. He shook his head as Viperion approached them, an unhappy frown turning his lips. Chat's baton sat uselessly in his hands as he watched him. "Didn't know you'd be join-"

He yowled as Viperion's fist connected with his nose, the baton clattering to the roof as he stumbled back and clutched his injured appendage. He blinked back tears as he looked up at Viperion, who looked completely unfazed.

"Viperion! What the hel-" he cried, but Viperion had already flicked his bangle.

"Second Chance," he said calmly.

"Hey, Scales," Chat Noir said easily, nodding at the other hero. He removed his baton from his back, extending it so he could lean on it. He paused as Viperion stalked over to them, his nose twitching with the urge to…to…sneeze, or _something_. He shook his head and offered an uneasy grin to their teammate. "Didn't know you'd be joining us to – whoa!"

He skittered back, his baton clattering to the roof as Viperion cocked his fist back. Ladybug stepped forward, catching Viperion's arm just in time, and Chat gawked at them. Viperion gave her a put out look, but Ladybug just smiled at him.

"Don't you think that's enough, Star?" she asked. He glanced back at Chat, the frown still on his face.

"Just one more?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and released him.

"If you must," she huffed, and the next thing Chat knew Viperion's fist was sailing into his nose.

"Luka, what the hell?!" he screamed, but Viperion just smacked the back of his head before flicking his bangle.

"Second Chance," he said, but there was a grin on his face as he said it.

"Hey, Scales," Chat Noir said easily, nodding at the other hero. He reached for his baton, but his hand froze halfway to his back as an uneasy feeling came over him. He glanced up at Viperion to find he had already crossed the roof to stand before him, his arms crossed over his chest and a disapproving frown on his face. "I…uh…didn't know you'd be joining us tonight."

"Wasn't planning on it," Viperion said. "I was actually looking forward to an evening in with my girlfriend when she got…what was it, darning? Twenty or so texts from a mangy cat who can't seem to take a fucking hint?"

Chat Noir yelped as Viperion raised a hand towards him. He visibly flinched, his nose twitching uncomfortably with the need to sneeze and his hands flexing with the need to cover said nose, but whatever he was anticipating never came. Instead, Viperion's hand landed heavily on his shoulder, his fingers digging into the black suit a little painfully. He winced as Viperion squeezed his shoulder, blinking his eyes open to stare at the older man.

"Chat, I love you, man, I really do," Viperion said with a heavy sigh, "but it's _never going to happen_. No means no, and Ladybug's told you no in and out of the mask multiple times. Take the fucking hint."

Viperion squeezed his shoulder one more time before turning back to Ladybug. He snaked an arm around her waist and tugged her towards him, grinning as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey, Sailor," he said, making her giggle. Her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, pressing against his head just enough to make him dip down and kiss her.

"Hey, Pi…_Star_," she cooed back. He grinned, kissing her again, and Chat Noir looked away as an uncomfortable feeling twisted his stomach.

"_He's my lighthouse, guiding me safely home from all those nasty monsters in your wake."_

"Chat," Ladybug called, and he swallowed thickly as he looked up. She was still tangled up in Viperion's arms, and Viperion was still glaring at him. "We'll take care of patrol tonight. You go home and rest up for your trip. Enjoy England."

He nodded, glancing down at his booted feet.

"And only text if it's an emergency," Viperion added. He raised his eyes to find Viperion had inclined his head towards him. "And for the love of God, Chat. _Stay away from my girlfriend._"

"I…" Chat gulped, resisting the urge to rub his nose. He could see the head on Viperion's bangle inching forward, and he wondered if there was more to his feeling of déjà vu than a simple sneeze. "…ok. Yeah. Got it."

He watched as Ladybug launched her yoyo into the night, carrying the two heroes away from the rooftop. She was laughing as they left, and Chat was left with the distinct impression that she was laughing at him. (She wouldn't, he knew. That was ridiculous. Didn't change how it felt, though.) He dropped to the roof with a sigh, his ears drooping as he gripped his ankles.

"We're meant to be, though," he sighed, nudging a pebble with his toe. He looked up at the moon, though it didn't seem as bright as it usually did. Like Ladybug had taken the light with her.

And maybe she had.

Adrien had never really been one to let go without a fight, though. And while he was sure Luka would make good on his…it hadn't been a threat, per se. Warning? His warning. While Adrien was sure Luka would make good on his slightly passive-aggressive warning to _stay away from his girlfriend_, that didn't keep Adrien from making one more call later that night.

"…Adrien, I swear to all that is –" Marinette bit out when she answered, but Adrien found hope in the fact that she _did_ answer. She could have just let it go to voicemail.

"Last time, I promise!" he cut in, and he heard her take a few calming breaths. He heard Luka in the background, heard her mutter a few assurances, and sighed. "I just…wanted to apologize. For not taking the hint."

"You've always been…persistent," she sighed. He chucked ruefully.

"Yeah," he said. He hesitated, shoving a hand through his hair to distract him from what he wanted to ask. "Mari, do you…do you think…if not for Luka, do you think we'd have a chance?"

"_Adrien_…" she groaned, and he winced.

"Hear me out!" he pleaded. "It's just…if we had been open with each other from the beginning. If we had revealed our identities from the start, before you met Luka…would you have given me a chance? Do you think we could have worked?"

She was quiet for a long moment. He was afraid she wouldn't answer. He heard Luka again, asking if she was all right.

"…no, Adrien," she finally said, pushing out a heavy sigh. "I don't."

"…oh," he said, and what else was there to say?

"I thought I loved you once," she said, and somehow that didn't make any of it better. "And I think, if we had known back then, we would have been together. But I don't think it would have lasted. I don't think we'd _still_ be together."

"But –!"

"We wouldn't have, Adrien," she said firmly, "because I'm not supposed to be with you. We're great as partners, but…not more. And we would have realized that eventually. You might have even been a great first boyfriend, but that's all. Because…eventually, I would have met Luka. Or someone else. And that would have been the end for us."

"I've been in love with you since I was thirteen, m'Lady," he sighed. "I don't know if I know how to _not_ be in love with you."

"…have a great summer, Adrien," she said. She sounded so tired. "Enjoy England."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Knock 'em dead at Gabriel."

When Marinette hung up, she threw her phone across the room. She curled against Luka's chest, sighing as she snuggled into him. He tightened his arms around her.

"Are you ok, darning?" he asked. She nodded, paused, then shook her head.

"I don't know," she sighed. She pressed her ear over his heart, closing her eyes as the steady beat lulled her towards sleep. "But I will be. And he will be, too. Eventually."

_**Notes:**__ The song Marinette referenced is Great Big Sea's "Safe Upon The Shore", which is beautiful and heartbreaking and I love it. The beach Adrien referenced is Nag's Head down in North Carolina (one of the beaches of the Outer Banks). The song Luka sang is Alan Doyle's "I Am A Sailor". Anyway. Don't argue that Marinette belongs with Adrien because of seafaring names when Luka's a Scottish pirate. (I was running with the Sailor/Pirate nicknames, until I remembered Anarka called Jagged Pirate, and that might be a little much for Luka. So Sailor/Star won out instead.)_


End file.
